There have been a wide range of petrol and diesel engines providing Renault Megane Sport Tourer performance since its launch.

Diesel engines from launch

There’s no surprise that the most popular Megane Sport Tourers are the diesels, initially powered by an 86bhp 1.5-litre dCi, withdrawn at the January 2014 facelift, and a 128bhp 1.9-litre version, itself replaced by a 1.6-litre motor in 2012.

Petrol engines from launch

The initial petrol engine line-up included a 1.6-litre with either 98bhp or 108bhp depending on the model, along with a turbocharged 1.4-litre with 128bhp. Most powerful of the range was a 177bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre offering fine performance but slow sales and higher emissions ensured it didn’t survive the 2014 facelift.

Fleshing out the range was a non-turbo version of the 2.0-litre, with 148bhp when mated to an automatic gearbox and 158bhp when fitted with a conventional manual transmission.

All manual versions had six-speeds, except the lower-powered 1.5-litre diesel and 1.6-litre petrol which made do with five ratios.

New engines added

In line with some mild exterior fettling in 2012 Renault installed an all-new 113bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine, with a six-speed manual gearbox, to replace the 1.4-litre TCe. It’s a smooth, efficient engine but does require a fair amount of gear changing to make the most of the performance on offer.

Replacing the old 1.9-litre diesel was a 1.6-litre dCi producing 128bhp. This refined engine is also inexpensive to run. Further upgrades also saw a 108bhp version of the familiar 1.5-litre dCi introduced.

Additionally a 128bhp edition of the 1.2-litre TCe petrol engine arrived in summer 2013.

Thanks to weightier steering than the car it replaces and suspension modifications, the Sport Tourer is as nimble as the Megane hatchback. It certainly feels more agile than the previous Megane Sport Tourer, with less body roll when cornering and an improvement in steering feel – the previous Megane’s steering feels too light, but this Megane gives the driver far more confidence with a more progressive feel when turning.

The extended wheelbase over the Megane hatchback also improves the ride quality for passengers, although top versions with 17-inch wheels can feel a little choppy over bumps. But the majority of models ride smoothly and are very quiet at speed too.